Navy officials are weighing in on using interactive
video games like the Nintendo Wii and Dance
Dance Revolution
to help new enlistees build up endurance and get past boot camp.
There is a growing concern that those who are currently enlisting
require more work to get into shape than was needed with past
recruits. Officials are attributing it to a more sedentary
lifestyle.

Recent
studies indicate that the Wii has little effect on family fitness,
but that has not stopped the Navy from heavily considering the
possibility of using interactive games in the training of its
recruits. According
to the Navy
Times,
Navy Surgeon General Vice Adm. Adam Robinson believes that most young
people prefer computers and video games to sports and other physical
activities. Using interactive video games, in conjunction with
traditional training could help new recruits when it comes to
endurance, Robinson said.

"There
are lots of programs now that people can [use to] become very
physically active while they’re using interactive computer games,"
said Robinson. "So, in other words, this isn’t about [starting]
with computers and stopping [everything else] — because we’re not
going to do that. This is about incorporating those types of
activities into something that people can use to become more
physically active."

Robinson
added that there has been an issue in terms of physical
fitness. More new recruits are injured in basic training
because they are not used to the amount of standing and running that
is required and they have found that women in boot camp suffer more
bone injuries than in the past, Robinson said.

"There
have been more fractures and femur fractures and long-bone fractures
in some of our young female recruits, and that’s related to the
amount of activity and a sedentary lifestyle that they’ve had
before they’ve entered the service and then the uptick in physical
activity after they’re in the service."

The
plan is still in the early stages and there is no timeline set for
video game use in basic training.

Comments

Threshold

Username

Password

remember me

This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled

Wow, things have changed in 10 years. I had PE 3 times a week, though it was an elective after sophomore year.

People ask, "Why should I take PE if it doesn't teach me job skills?" to which I say, being in shape, maintaining proper metabolism, and generally being a little more fit than the average has many benefits in the job world. More oxygen to the brain, not getting tired right after lunch, being able to fight off cold/flu easier etc etc..

I, sir, Agree with you. Right outta high school i was 6'1" and a trim 240...10 years later I'm sitting in my chair 6-8 hours a day doing IT and I get barely any exercise because of work and family commitments. I gained 80lbs...that's 320 for that can't do math and I have all the problems you spoke of. I just wish my job gave me a treadmill so I could walk and work.

"Trim" 240? You were obese then! Talk about how much standards have dropped...

My middle school graded us on how quickly we could run. We had PE 3 days a week and had to run 1 1/2 miles every Friday. I think it was under 11m for 1 1/2 miles for an "A" grade and then they raised it to 12m the last year I was there.

How much better off would American citizens be if we were all healthy and there was a PE requirement to graduate? There have been multiple studies that have shown exercise is linked with improved cognition and a reduction in aging effects. Now that the socialists are making us pay for everyone's health care, why not add even more socialism?http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v9/n1/abs/nrn229...

Instead of just exercise, they should also teach basic nutrition in schools as well. I know at my school they did try to throw in some nutritional information in the half-semester cooking class everyone had to take and interjected slightly throughout PE whenever the coach would think about it (almost never) but it was really very thin on useful information.

Basically, it boiled down to follow the government food guide, which is actually a decent start which everyone should at least be aware of.

One problem I know happens though is that nutrition ideas seem to change every few years. You can't expect the average high school P.E teacher to keep up on all of it like a college level nutritionist. That and sometimes the current ideas are shown to later be just plain wrong.